Howard's extra value spiel unpalatable for some

That time of the year ... Anastasia Alexiou, 10, with her mother, Sarah, and brother, Oliver, tries her new Wollahra Public School uniform on for size at a Bondi shop. Photo Danielle Smith

"I honour God, I serve my Queen, I salute the flag."

Veteran teacher and principal Chris Bonnor swore that oath every day of his schooling life in the 1950s and '60s. "And none of it made me any more God-fearing, nationalistic, or any closer to becoming a monarchist," he said.

The president of the NSW Secondary Principals Council was insulted by remarks by the Prime Minister, John Howard, that public schools had "become too politically correct and too values-neutral".

"Everything we do and what we are contradicts that. It's really very offensive and incredibly dated."

Student welfare programs, teacher codes of conduct, a commitment to the community, inclusiveness, a respect for the law and civic mindedness were all in strong evidence throughout the state's public schools, he said.

As for allegations of political correctness, he said: "No parent has expressed concerns about political correctness to me in my 30 years of teaching . . . the Prime Minister's own conservative world view doesn't reflect the world I've known as a principal. It's very strange."

Mr Bonnor recalls his school days, when so-called old-fashioned values were enforced: hymns were de rigueur at formal occasions but when the local pastor made his weekly visit for scripture the students ran riot.

In class, children learnt about the White Australia policy and in the playground Aboriginal students were mercilessly teased or simply marginalised.

"And playground fights? If they were on the same scale today it would be considered a major crisis."

Bullying was also institutionalised, an evil perhaps more readily associated these days with some of the state's most elite private schools, Mr Bonnor said.

Professor Tony Vinson said Mr Howard's remarks were at odds with his own observations at the more than 130 public schools he visited as part of his independent inquiry into public education.

"His comments are misplaced - I imagine he is referring to values which he personally prizes, but what they are, I'm guessing, like anyone else."

Mr Howard declined to expand on the values he most prized and felt lacking in state schools. Some educators hazarded a guess he meant beliefs informed by religion and enforced through strict discipline.

A Sydney mother of two, Sarah Alexiou, also disagreed with Mr Howard. "The values I want taught are to accept everybody, be kind to everybody, get along in a group, be happy, feel safe and secure and hopefully learn something along the way. This is all provided at a public school."